Death Registration Information

Death Registration Information for Funeral Directors and Staff

Data Practices Requirement

SSA Online Verification of Decedent Social Security Number

The Social Security Administration (SSA) understands that the social security numbers (SSNs) for deceased persons are public information in Minnesota. However, according to section 1106 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C 1306), the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C 552a), and the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (P.L. 100-503), SSA is required to protect the confidentiality of the SSN verification information.

Information on whether an SSN has been verified or not verified is confidential information. Information received in the SSN verification process including whether the SSN number is verified or not and the SSA verification status may be used by funeral directors, funeral home staff, physicians, coroners, medical examiners, local registrars, and Office of the State Registrar staff only as needed to complete the verification process before the fact of death is filed and to transmit the fact of death to SSA. SSN verification records cannot be re-disclosed without the prior written approval of SSA. SSA will not grant such authority unless the re-disclosure is required by law.

To facilitate protection of the verification information, MN VRV2000 will not display the SSN verification information:

1) to local registrar staff who are entering death record information for a funeral director who is not using MN VRV2000 to file fact of death electronically;

2) to funeral directors, other funeral home staff, physicians, coroners, or medical examiners once the fact of death has been filed; or

3) to Office of the State Registrar staff who do not need to see the SSN verification information to perform their job duties.